Through a varied career that has encompassed the worlds of business, politics and philanthropy, Belinda Stronach has worked to pursue the goal of a better Canada and a better world.
Belinda currently serves as Executive Vice-Chairman of Magna International, a company she had led as CEO earlier in the decade. After years of being active in a variety of philanthropic efforts, she founded The Belinda Stronach Foundation, which aims to advance human potential and achievement through individual empowerment and social change.
Belinda has long been a prominent public figure in Canada and beyond. In 2001, the National Post recognized her as the most powerful businesswoman in Canada. That same year, the World Economic Forum named her a “Global Leader of Tomorrow.”
In 2002, Belinda was ranked #2 by Fortune magazine in its list of the world’s most powerful women in business – and was named one of Canada’s “Top 40 under 40,” an awards competition that honours the country’s top business innovators under the age of 40.
In 2004, TIME magazine ranked Belinda as one of the world’s 100 most influential people – and in 2005 the World Economic Forum named her a member of its network of global young leaders. That same year, the Women’s Executive acclaimed her a “trailblazer” and one of Canada’s top 100 most powerful women.
Moving from business success and community involvement, Belinda entered public life to represent the community where she has lived most of her life. First elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2004 general election (and subsequently re-elected in 2006), she served as Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora.
At the invitation of the Prime Minister, she joined the federal Cabinet in 2005 and assumed responsibility for three separate portfolios: Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development; Minister Responsible for Democratic Renewal; and Minister responsible for Service Canada. She declined to seek a third term in office in the 2008 election.
As Executive Vice-Chairman of Magna International Inc., Belinda continues to play a key management role at one of the largest global suppliers of automotive systems and components in the world – with 83,000 employees in 23 countries. During her time as former President and CEO of Magna, the company had record sales and profits and its stock price nearly doubled in value. While at Magna at that time, Belinda had also served on the Ontario Task Force on Productivity, Competitiveness and Economic Progress.
In 2006, together with Canadian television personality Rick Mercer, Belinda co-founded Spread the Net, a national grassroots fundraising campaign aimed at combating malaria in Africa. She is also a board member of Malaria No More and Chair of Malaria No More Canada.
Belinda is also a Director of the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., a leading and influential research and policy development institute in the area of international development.
Following her personal experience with breast cancer in the spring 2007, she became patron of the Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery at the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation. The Chair provides funding for a program to ensure that the important option of reconstructive surgery is more widely available to women who have undergone mastectomies.
In 2008, Belinda received the Paul Harris Award – one of the highest honours that Rotary can bestow on an individual – in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the ideals of the Rotary service club organization.
Belinda is an Honourary Member of the Board of Directors of Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario – and the past Honourary Chair of Southlake's Nurture the Future Fundraising Campaign. In 2005, she received the “In Celebration of Women: Achievements and Initiatives” award for assisting youth in her community.
On International Women’s Day 2009, Belinda was honoured by the United Nations Association in Canada as a member of “First Among Equals,” a group of extraordinary Canadian women who continue to excel in diverse fields toward the betterment of society. Belinda was chosen for her lifelong commitment to empowering individuals – with an emphasis on women.
Belinda is alao an Honourary Director of the Judy LaMarsh Fund for the Liberal Party of Canada in support of work to encourage more women to enter public life. The fund is named for an earlier trailblazer in this regard.
Most recently, Belinda, along with Spread the Net co-founder Rick Mercer, was awarded an Honourary Doctorate of Laws from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario for their work on the Spread the Net campaign.
